Active Moms’ Club just wrapped up our Summertime Fitness Challenge last week, and here’s how our 60-day program transformed one mom’s confidence, body AND self-esteem. Her story is quite remarkable…

SUCCESS STORY:

“I discovered Active Moms’ Club three months ago after researching several gyms and realizing that they didn’t offer what I truly needed. I didn’t want to go into a class with twenty people, limited space, and a cookie cutter workout plan. I needed a place where I could feel comfortable with my post-baby body. I also needed a place that would not only address my physical goals but also my social and emotional goals. I was experiencing pelvic pain and I started to feel discouraged about getting my body in shape. I knew I couldn’t do it alone.

My son is now 14-months-old. I’ve always been an active person because I’ve been a dancer all of my life. During my pregnancy I walked often with my husband but no strength training. I also danced from time to time.”

Kyneitres started Fit & Fab Small Group Training sessions in March, consistently participating in two, one-hour sessions each week. She opted to join in to the 60-Day Summertime Fitness Challenge when it was offered in May, continuing her training twice a week. With the addition of the Challenge she received fitness assessment tests, and specific guidance and accountability for her personal fitness goals—“I want to increase my core strength by addressing my abdominal wall separation and work on core conditioning”. Based on Kyneitres’s personal goal, we also took ’before & after’ pictures, and body measurements at the beginning and end of challenge.

She lost 1.25 inches from her waist, and 2 inches from her hips in just 60 days! More impressive, she crushed her initial fitness assessment test by completing 25% more exercises in allotted time. Being consistent with her workouts, even when she didn’t feel like it, paid off markedly.

“The biggest differences I see since starting Fit & Fab Small Group Training would have to be in my abdomen and pelvic region. Those deep belly breaths are truly effective. I suffer from diastasis recti and I’m having to retrain my muscles. It has been challenging but my stomach looks more toned and less like a deflated balloon. I’ve also noticed I’ve strengthened my pelvic area. During my pregnancy I suffered from pretty intense pelvic discomfort that remained after giving birth, even with physical therapy. Prior to AMC’s Fit & Fab, I was unable to walk a mile without pain. Now I walk 4-5 miles every weekend. No pain! My husband is amazed. I was struggling to get out of the bed in the morning because the pain was so intense. The difference I see and feel in my mobility is so exciting!

What I like most about Fit & Fab workouts is that they are tailored to my needs. I like the small groups. I also like that there is no pressure. Cassandra always provides a welcoming environment. I like that she pays close attention to each moms body and assesses what their strengths and weaknesses are. I like that she develops individualized goals so that the training feels genuine and personal. She is constantly monitoring your growth and strength and making sure the exercises are being performed safely. She is also direct and honest. I’ll admit, I had some delusional thinking and was sometimes trying to perform exercises that my body was not ready for and she made sure to tell me to take it slow and do what is safe for my body and fitness level. In relation to emotional health, it is so nice to be accepted by a group of people who completely understand what it is like to be a new mom. Being able to talk about the uncertainties of motherhood and the anxiety that comes with it all while staying fit is invaluable.

What makes me most proud about my new found body shape and strength is the mental and emotional strength I’ve gained. Since starting this journey just three short months ago, I have changed perspectives when it comes to being fit. For me,becoming fit is more about eating healthy, being comfortable with my postpartum body, and just feeling like me again. I feel like I was busy trying to compare myself to my before baby body and it was causing me a lot of mental and emotional stress. I have a new shape and new strength and I’m excited to see how much more I’ll transform. I’m also proud of my ability to stay consistent with my workouts because there were definitely days when I did not feel like going but I did it anyway.

Thank you so much Cassandra for taking the time to create a program that is all encompassing for moms. I tell EVERYONE I know about you and how much I’ve grown as a person. Your support and guidance has really elevated me and because of it I’ve become so much more confident.”

Thank you Kyneitres for inspiring me to continue to grow and learn as a trainer, and for inspiring other moms to persevere!

What are your personal fitness goals? Rather than wish for change, take action! No exercise experience is required to start our Fit & Fab strength training program. Let the power of small group training move you! Join us for a one-time Fit & Fab test-drive for just $25. Experience a session for yourself and you too will be on your way to feeling more confident about what your post-baby body can do.

BRAND NEW!
Based on demand, Fit & Fab now has a 30-Day Outdoor Summer Fitness Blast beginning July 15th! Join us for four weeks of fitness that will take the guesswork out of slimming down and getting fit. You could be AMC’s next success story!

It’s no secret that regular exercise along with mindful, healthy eating will yield a healthier body, but it’s much easier said than done. But when you take a little intrinsic motivation, add external accountability and support, these moms lost INCHES from their waistline and developed healthier eating habits along the way—in just 60 short days!

“So I’ve been rocking size 10 work pants since I went back to work in December, but this morning, I fit into some size 8’s that I bought back in my first trimester! So exciting!”

In January, twelve moms decided they were ready to make a change and committed to AMC’s 60-Day Fitness Challenge, our most successful group, goal-based program.

“I’m happy to say that I met my weight goal of losing 4 pounds. My weight had crept up a little with the downtime in the Fall plus the stress of holidays and the failed IVF, plus all that combined with extremely cold weather…yuck. I’m really glad I committed to the Fitness Challenge. I physically feel better and happier, and that’s really what I wanted.”

So far over 167 women have lost a collective 185 inches and 374 pounds participating in our Fitness Challenges over the last four years! As part of Fit & Fab Small Group training sessions, the Challenge helps moms achieve measurable increases in strength, which can help increase metabolism and torch body fat.

And you know what?

Even though you can lose inches from your waistline—it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll lose pounds from the scale. During this Challenge, I encouraged some moms to ditch the scale and purely focus on the day to day habits and activities that lead them to their goals. The number on the scale doesn’t always represent the progress being made, as the scale can ultimately deplete motivation. Using body measurements and the fitness assessments became our means of measuring success—and everyone who participated in the Challenge was wildly successful.

“It feels great to feel better and move easier. My increased strength and flexibility aren’t necessarily rewards that I banked on 60 days ago… these far outweigh any number on a scale. Thanks for your constant encouragement and push! AMC continues to be a highlight of my week! 💜”

Our Fit & Fab training sessions provides high-intensity, interval-based exercises that will provide maximum calorie burn. All of our moms have learned how to swing kettlebells–which is a highly effective exercise to increase core/ab strength. “I feel so bad-ass when I swing kettlebells, I can let some aggression out when I swing”. The bells may look intimidating but they aren’t—just the opposite, it’s empowering to swing a kettlebell. Along with functional exercises, the kettlebells are a fun way to add resistance to our high-intensity workouts.

“Thank you very much for your continued encouragement and motivation. I lost 4 pounds, and really happy to see how my posture improved. I feel much stronger and feel more confident than I was prior to the Fitness Challenge. I also have more energy by the end of the day due to the new food choices I’m making. More importantly, I feel like I have learned a lot about exercise and nutrition. I can continue these new healthy lifestyle habits as opposed to ways of losing weight fast but not able to maintain. Meal planning has been so beneficial not only for me but for my husband and son as well.”

Are you ready to be the best version of you? Join our 60-Day Summertime Shape-Up Fitness Challenge sponsored by TK Photography to change your body for the better. The Challenge begins April 22 through June 21 – 8 weeks of fitness that will take the guesswork out of slimming down and getting fit.

Join us – our most successful group, goal-based program – is limited to the first 20 moms, even if you have “just a little” to lose, you have all of the right things to gain!

Oh, and as a little extra incentive…complete the Challenge and you’ll receive a mini photo-shoot from TK Photography!

Willpower is a fragile thing. Subjected to stress, sleep deprivation, or simple visual triggers, it disappears and our goals suffer in the face of reality.

You too have likely experienced this, along with a subsequent dose of guilt— a meltdown from your child turns into a glass of wine (or two or three) after bedtime, a late night pint of Ben & Jerry’s, and a three-hour Netflix binge — all things that felt necessary in the moment, but all working directly against your health and fitness goals.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

You can enhance your willpower and with it, your ability to fight temptation. To do so, you’ll look outside yourself, focusing not on your mental state, but on controlling your environment and your reaction to temptation, setting up a system that takes full advantage of the psychology of willpower.

Read on for your four-step guide on how to enhance your willpower.

Step 1: State Your Willpower Goal in Writing

The first step to maintaining willpower in the face of temptation is to clearly define what you’re trying to achieve. Too often, our goals are poorly defined and therefore unachievable. To begin, grab a pen and a piece of paper. (All the moms participating in AMC’s 60-Day Fitness Challenge wrote down their specific goals down last week.)

First, write down your general goal. For example, if I’m attempting to give up desserts, I’ll write exactly that at the top of the page: “Quit eating desserts.”

Next, write down exactly what this means. In my case, “No cookies, cakes, chocolate or treats of any kind at any time, regardless of circumstance.”

Finally, ascribe a timeframe to the goal. Keep in mind that taking small steps will aid your ability to maintain progress, so write something like: “I’ll begin by not eating any desserts at all for two weeks.”

Now, we’ve defined exactly what “maintaining willpower” means, added a timeframe to the effort, and written it down, giving tangible form to what was formerly an abstract goal. The act of writing makes the goal “real,” and therefore something you’re more likely to accomplish.

Step 2: Recognize Your Triggers

Next, recognize (and record) the circumstances that erode your willpower. These may include lack of sleep, conflict, stress, or simple physical temptation (such as the presence of candy or alcohol). When your triggers are present, you’re more likely to give in and subvert your plan.

On your goal sheet, write down each trigger. In the case of my dessert goal, it might look like this: “Triggers for dessert consumption: having my favorite chocolate in the house, going to parties, work/life stress, winding down in the evening.”

By acknowledging and writing down these triggers, I become more aware of their presence in my life. Combined with step three, this awareness enhances my ability to fight temptation in the moments when I’ll be most likely to trip up.

Step 3: Create Replacement Behaviors

For each trigger, list multiple behaviors that could replace the non-desired behavior. In my example, I would avoid eating sugar in the presence of my triggers by engaging in the following replacement behaviors instead:

Having multiple replacement behaviors for each trigger is important. It enables you to select the replacement that is most likely to work in any given circumstance. For instance, I may not be able to avoid bringing my kids to a birthday party, but I can eat before going to the party and focus on meeting and connecting with new people.

There is a psychological power in the replacement behavior. Instead of focusing on what you’re not going to do, you can focus on what you are going to do. This will give you an immediate sense of control as well as a different set of emotions around willpower — creating pride and empowerment rather than guilt and avoidance.

Step 4: Recognize Success

Each time you engage in a replacement behavior, give yourself credit, recording your success on your paper with a hash mark or an “x.”

This act is instrumental in reinforcing your willpower. It creates a positive feedback loop — seeing your small successes in writing will encourage you to strive for additional successes, and your willpower in the moment will become willpower for the day, the week, the month, and the year.

Additionally, recording your successes gives you something to do when you get a win (rather than something not to do, as is the case with most behavior avoidance scenarios). As was the case with replacement behaviors, action becomes more satisfying than inaction, further reinforcing progress.

Putting It All Together to Build Willpower

Willpower is a fragile thing — but it doesn’t have to be. Using this system will enhance and augment your mental capacities, making your resolve more durable while strengthening your ability to accomplish your goals.

The four-step system:

Define your willpower goals

Recognize and record your triggers

Create replacement behaviors

Recognize success

The system works equally as well whether you’re trying to stop a behavior or create a new one, such as an exercise habit. All you need is any piece of paper, a pen, and a quiet moment.

Take that moment now— grab a piece of paper and give it a shot. Outline your goal, your triggers, and your replacement behaviors. Put the paper in your pocket, and be ready to record your first success. With practice, you’ll find your willpower growing and your goals accomplished, moment by moment, day by day.

Do you need additional motivation or accountability to reach your fitness goals? Let Active Moms’ Club help you be the best version of yourself. AMC provides fitness for all stages of motherhood. We offer a wide range of services to meet the unique needs of Chicago mothers: prenatal and postnatal exercise classes, one-on-one personal training, fitness challenges — and most importantly, a community of support from moms just like you!

Before we say goodbye to 2016, let’s take a moment to look back on the great accomplishments of these AMC moms and their incredible transformations in 2016. From creating healthier eating habits to adding weight training once a week, what will be your inspiration to be the best version of you in 2017?

Are you ready to be the best version of you? Join our 60-Day New Year New You Fitness Challenge to change your body for the better. The Challenge begins January 14 through March 15 – 8 weeks of fitness that will take the guesswork out of slimming down and getting fit.

Join us – our most successful group, goal-based program – is limited to the first 20 moms, even if you have “just a little” to lose, you have all of the right things to gain! Visit our website to learn more information about our Fit & Fab Small Group Training program and to register for our 60-Day Challenge.

Do you want to know our secret to help women reshape their post-pregnancy body and lose inches from their midline to fit into their pre-pregnancy clothes? Well, okay… it’s not really a secret, it’s our Fit & Fab Fitness Challenges—our most successful group, goal-based program. We just wrapped up our Fall Fitness Challenge this week, and here’s how the 60-day program transformed one mom AND her family.

Success Story:

“I have been able to stick to my goal of no sweets – I have not had any sweets over the past two and a half months; I was motivated to continue tracking what I eat; and I now look forward to exercising.

The workouts have provided some much-needed “me” time. It’s been nice to work out alongside other moms, and I am truly amazed at how adding just one intentional workout per week has encouraged me to be more active each day during the rest of the week.

8 Weeks—Before & After

My goal was to lose 8 pounds over the course of 8 weeks, and to increase my strength:

• I am noticeably stronger, and I enjoy exercise much more than I did 2 months ago.
• I lost 11 pounds during the challenge.
• I lost 3 inches from my waist, 1.5 in from my hips and thighs, and .75in from my arms.
• I went from clothing size 12/14 to a size 8/10.
• I lost all of my remaining baby weight from my second pregnancy, and am 3 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight from my first pregnancy. I did not expect to be at this place in terms of physical fitness and size so soon. My second daughter is not quite 11 months, and I feel so proud that I am at this weight, size, and so energized about fitness before she is even a year old.

This experience has been transformative for my whole family. My husband has prioritized his own fitness and nutrition and has also lost weight over the course of the challenge. We are making healthier food choices for ourselves and the girls, and we are choosing more active outings as a family.

I can’t thank you enough for the encouragement and motivation that the AMC fitness challenge has provided me during the past two months. I look forward to more workouts and setting more goals in the months to come.”

No exercise experience is required to start a strength training program, like Fit & Fab. Lifting weights is an important addition to changing your fitness. When done with the proper progression, weights can transform your body like no other cardio or light-weight workout.

Do you need a different type of workout to finally see and feel the changes in your post-baby body? Join us for a Fit & Fab test-drive for just $25. Experience a session for yourself and you too will be hooked.

Fit & Fab’s next 60-Day Fitness Challenge will begin January 2017! Stay-tuned details will be announced in a few weeks.